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Commission recommends rezoning and package‑store permit for Soleil Belmont parcel over neighbor objections
Summary
After hours of public comment, the planning body recommended approval of a rezoning to General Commercial, a variance reducing a building setback, and a special use permit for a proposed package store at Soleil Belmont; votes were 8–1 (rezoning), 9–0 (variance), and 8–1 (special use).
The Cherokee County Planning Commission recommended approval of a package‑store rezoning and special‑use application for a parcel at the entrance to the Soleil Belmont community after lengthy public comment and a series of votes.
Staff described the procedural background: the county adopted a 2023 ordinance establishing limited package‑store districts and a lottery process to allocate permits; the parcel in the Macedonia allocation area is part of a larger Soleil Belmont commercial plan and the lottery previously awarded a license that the applicant now seeks to use. Staff presented proffered conditions (11 in total) including limits on uses (keeping NC uses and adding a package store), a requirement for a developer-funded right‑turn lane on Soleil Boulevard, building-height limits (no greater than 40 feet), underground utilities, dark‑sky/outdoor lighting that meets county requirements, screening for dumpster enclosures, and hours-of-operation conditions.
Ethan Underwood explained the licensing history and said the applicant would build the package store as part of a larger, high‑quality commercial village; Patrick Malloy, the developer, said the concept is modeled on upscale village centers and that the county’s permit process gives the county tools to enforce quality. Supporters from the neighborhood said the development could raise property values and preferred the proposed developer to alternatives.
Opponents, including Soleil Belmont residents Laurie Jourdain and Nora Jamski, urged denial or further mitigation, citing traffic and safety concerns on Highway 20 (including a prior fatality), the visual impact at the neighborhood entrance, and the proximity of other package stores. Several commissioners acknowledged traffic‑control limitations — GDOT will not allow a traffic signal at the intersection, staff said — but said mitigation can be achieved through proffered conditions, right‑turn lanes, and design controls.
Commissioners voted in three separate actions: a motion to recommend rezoning the specified parcel from Neighborhood Commercial to General Commercial with the applicant’s 11 conditions passed 8–1; the requested variance to reduce a front building setback from 50 to 25 feet passed 9–0; and the special use permit for the package store passed 8–1.
Staff noted remaining implementation steps: GDOT approvals for access and median modifications, county LDP and tree‑protection/ stormwater reviews, and recording covenants to maintain privately owned Soleil Boulevard. The planning commission’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners for final action.
